Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention (SHARP)  Research for Safe Work

What is SHARP's HazChem Initiative?

The SHARP program at the Department of Labor & Industries is interested in identifying the most serious chemical and biological hazards in Washington workplaces and the workers who are exposed to them.

The HazChem Survey

Washington workplaces contain numerous chemical and biological hazards that have the potential to cause adverse health effects, like cancer, asthma, and skin problems. While Workers' Compensation data can be used to identify work-related injuries, these data are less useful for tracking chemical and biological exposures that cause adverse health problems. Therefore, SHARP developed a Survey of Chemical and Biological Hazards, which was distributed to labor groups, businesses, and safety & health professionals throughout Washington State.

Construction was the most frequently mentioned industry. Although the harmful effects of many of these hazards have been recognized for decades, there is a critical need for health & safety professionals to address these exposures, including the development of effective exposure controls that do not rely on workers' use of personal protective equipment.

Addressing workplace exposures

SHARP has produced information about reducing the risk of exposure to the following workplace hazards: